Greycliff Prairie Dog Town

Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park protects a black-tailed prairie dog colony along Interstate 90 in Sweet Grass County between Big Timber and Columbus. The park provides an accessible opportunity to observe these keystone prairie species.

The prairie dog colony is the centerpiece, with hundreds of animals in an active town. Burrowing owls nest in abandoned prairie dog burrows. Raptors including ferruginous hawks and golden eagles hunt the colony. Rattlesnakes and badgers are also present.

The prairie dogs maintain closely cropped grassland around their burrows. Native grasses including blue grama and western wheatgrass surround the colony. The heavily grazed zone around the town contrasts with taller grasses beyond the colony's edge.

The park sits on the Yellowstone River valley floor near the Crazy Mountains. The flat terrain of glacial and alluvial deposits provides ideal habitat for prairie dog colonies. The Crazy Mountains and Absaroka Range provide dramatic backdrops.

The Yellowstone Valley experiences warm, dry summers and cold winters with occasional chinook warming events. Annual precipitation averages about 14 inches. Wind exposure on the open prairie is significant.

Prairie dogs once occupied vast areas of the Great Plains. Extensive poisoning campaigns dramatically reduced their range. This colony survives as a remnant of once-enormous prairie dog towns.

Greycliff Prairie Dog Town became a state park to protect this accessible colony and educate visitors about prairie dog ecology and their role as a keystone species.

Observing prairie dog behavior is the primary activity. The colony is visible from a viewing area and short trail. Interpretive signs explain prairie dog ecology and their importance to the prairie ecosystem.

The park provides a viewing area, interpretive signs, and restrooms. It is located directly off Interstate 90 at exit 377, between Big Timber and Columbus.

The park protects a prairie dog colony that serves as an ecological demonstration of keystone species. Prairie dogs create habitat for dozens of other species, making their conservation ecologically significant.